


A Coward's Will

by mhei_lynn



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Gen, Monsters, Nobility, Royalty, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:48:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28452654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mhei_lynn/pseuds/mhei_lynn
Summary: The heat in her palm turned to flame, burning her, burning them and everything around them. She could see bursts of lights from the other stones, she smiled knowing that even if she dies her plan had worked.Her last sight was a monster turning to ashes in front of her. Satisfied, she lets herself rest for the last time.And she opens her eyes once more.
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

Lady Bailys Drasania is not an idiot. Perhaps a coward, yes. But she would argue she was no fool.

And yet here she is, acting completely and utterly foolish.

Bailys ran fast, dropping fiery red stones along the way. She could feel her heart pound, blood rushing through her ears, and yet she could still hear the faint screams from the distance.

She picked up her pace. It wouldn’t be long before she gets caught.

_ ‘Foolfoolfoolfool- How arrogant are you to play hero now?’  _ She berated herself, feeling the ground heat up underneath her.

Bailys reached her pocket to throw another stone until she stopped to realize that she was down to her last stone.  _ ‘Nonononono- I messed up! I’m gonna die’ _

She heard another screech and she could feel her heart freeze. Any of her foolish bravery from before instantly down the drain.

_ How did it come to this? _

\-----

They ran.

Bailys could feel her legs burning off, her surroundings looking like a blur, the stench of rot and death. And perhaps the most terrifying part, the inhumane screeches she hears closing into them.

But she chose not to focus on that, less she freezes up like the coward she is.

No.

She focuses on the hand dragging her away from those wretched beings. Gripped so tightly like it knows the fear of losing. 

She focuses on his back, the ragged shirt not hiding his scars, not hiding that big back of his that she depended on so much.

She focuses on his golden locks, the dirt, and grime never managing to deter its beauty.

Bailys loved his hair, has she mentioned that to him? It reminded her of a peaceful yet intimate sunrise. Perhaps she should tell him.

“We escaped”  _ for now. _

She found herself adding, maybe he realized it too. Their run-ins with the monsters are getting more frequent than it used to be. Had they multiplied yet again? He probably suspects something too.

They didn’t talk. She rarely speaks, and she thinks he has nothing to say, but they both shared the same thought.  _ How long… _

As if to answer their question, a wail echoed through the forest.

She stood up, grabbing some of their bags and preparing to run once more, trying to ignore how shaky she was.

She looked at her companion. He was tense, she could sense that much. But then she took a look at his face.

_ Oh no. _

She’d seen that look before. She saw it on that kind old man who helps her carry their stuff. Saw it on the young married couple who bickered about everything and treated her as if she was their daughter. She saw it on her dear friend who promised to never leave her side. She saw that look on everyone.

_ Everyone is dead. _

“I’ll stay, you need to run” The authoritative voice of his never left room for her to even try to convince him. I’ll go with you, she wants to say but she just bites her lips.

He gives her a sad smile, “Hey”, his tone becoming softer. And Bailys steeled herself, she refused to cry, refused to be more of a nuisance to him.

He gave her a pouch, her eyes widen when she opened it, “T-This is-”. Stones, mostly red, filling the pouch.

“I was hoping to show this once I had a plan but…” He laid his hands on her shoulder, gripping her tightly. “You need to run, okay? You run and you find help” 

“And when you do,  _ burn these bastards”  _ she flinched at the bloodlust rolling off of him. “Be safe, okay?” No! I’ll fight with you. I can do it, you taught me how. I can- she nods.

She nods and she runs.

Coward. You left him to die.

No. He told me to find help. I just need to find someone-

The voice in her head laughs at her. She knows it was a fool’s errand, he did too. They haven’t seen anyone else for a while now.

Even from this distance, she could hear the screeches. She sees the short bursts of lights that she grew familiar with. And she needs to focus on something else before her fear swallows her up, like the coward she is.

But the hands that she held was not here anymore. The back she often found herself staring at was not in front of her. The sun-kissed hair she admired was nowhere to be found.

Instead, she focused on running. She ran and ran, only hiding when she thinks it’s safe, like a true coward.

By the time she got the courage to go back, all that’s left was his sword and a hand dripped so tightly on to it.

She builds him a grave as  _ they  _ did with the others. She buried the sword with the hand, it felt wrong not to. It was only when she placed the last rock to mark the grave did she realized.

_ I never got to tell him. _

\-----

The terrifying screeches were the ones that snapped her back to reality. She looked at the distances, watching the pale white and grey monsters quickly moving towards her.

She has no place left to run, and frankly, she’s too tired to do so anymore. She had run and run till she was the only one left. “Will they forgive me I wonder…?” She finds herself thinking in her last moments.

_ “And when you do, burn these bastards” _

Bailys’ eyes turned to determination. She gripped her last stone, an overbearing heat waving through her hand. The monsters had finally caught up to her and when they did she’ll let everything  _ burn. _

The heat in her palm turned to flame, burning her, burning them and everything around them. She could see bursts of lights from the other stones, she smiled knowing that even if she dies her plan had worked.

Her last sight was a monster turning to ashes in front of her. Satisfied, she lets herself rest for the last time.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_ And she opens her eyes once more. _


	2. Chapter 2

Bailys’ eyes fluttered open, acting slow and sluggish as if recently waking up from deep sleep. She blinked her eyes, dazed before freezing up and standing rigidly.  _ ‘How long have I been asleep? Where’s the nearest monster? What’s-’ _

“Mistress?”

Her head shot up to see who spoke. Bailys stared at the other person as if she was insane.

“I-is there a problem, young mistress?” The other person gave Bailys a concerned look.

“O…” Baileys hesitated as if her voice would make that person leave her once more. “Ona?...”

Ona gave her a soft smile “Yes, mistress?”

“I- what?... I don’t-” And Bailys was hit with the waves of memories. The burning, rotting smell, the ash, and smoke-filled skies, screaming and the pain that surges through her body.   
  


“Mistress?!” She snapped out of her distress. Bailys watched her maid’s face filled with worry. She cocked her head to the side, unsure what had upset her maid.

Ona’s face turned impassive once more but Bailys could still see her eyes glazed with concern. “You turned pale, should I call the physician?”

Baileys gathered a deep breath, regaining her composure. “No need. Please be a dear and get me my breakfast. I rather eat here” She ordered, the grace of a noble lady radiating through her. Ona bowed, swiftly leaving to get her meal.

She watched her door click shut before standing up.  _ ‘A dream? No. All of this feels too real and besides I-’  _ Heat. Heat so unbearable that it’s burning her alive.

Baileys crashed into her chair, her legs giving out on her.  _ ‘I’m dead, I died. I know I died’  _ She sat on the chair, not trusting herself to even walk.

_ ‘I died but I’m back?’  _ She stares at her hands. There were no scars or burns, it was smooth and markless. Discomfort swirled around her, she doesn’t like it.

She rummaged through her desk and drawers.  _ ‘I’m back but how?’  _ Baileys opened her journal, scanning a flurry of words, symbols, and drawings. She checked the date of the most recent entry.

Just five years before  _ it  _ happens.

Baileys looked grimly at the date.  _ ‘How am I supposed to stop this from happening?’  _ She mulled all over the things she could do before stopping.

“Heh…” What could her pathetic self possibly do? The last time she did something she  _ died.  _ “The smoke most have gotten through my head…”

Baileys combed through her hair using her hand. She should just fade into the background, be the picture of a perfect noble lady and when  _ it  _ happens she runs (like the coward she was named to be).

She nods to herself, agreeing with her idea. Honestly, there’s nothing she could do. They should’ve given a chance like this to hi-

The knock on her door stopped her from her thoughts, a second later Ona comes in and Bailys froze once more.

She quickly forced herself to act normal, she refuses to let her maid worry once more.  _ ‘Right, I died’  _ she thought to herself  _ ‘But everyone else also died’.  _

Bailys smiled at Ona when she placed her food before her. “Thanks…” she began eating.

_ ‘If I don’t do something, everyone will die’  _ She doesn’t want to lose everyone again,  _ she can’t.  _ Baileys watched Ona make her bed. When was the last time she actually saw her friend?

Six seasons. None of them had a way or even bothered to track the days, but she remembers when her dearest friend had left her. It had been six seasons since that day.

\-----

It had been a cloudless day, the sunlight wasn’t harsh, and the wind that comes back and forth kept them cool. It had been a lovely spring day.

Or it would have been lovely if it weren’t for the pack of beasts charging towards them. Baileys could remember him handing his stuff to her, a sword in hand and ready to fight until a strong blast of wind pushed the monsters back.

Ona stood in front of them, her hair and clothes swirling in the wind as the air danced around her friend. Ona looked to him and said “I’m entrusting the mistress to you”

“What are you-”

“Okay” He cut her off, grabbing Bailys’ hand for them to run.

“Wha- I’m not leaving you here Ona!” Bailys shook his hand away. She tried to approach her friend when she froze. It was that look again, that  _ damn  _ look.

The wind became increasingly violent with every second that passed. “Go” Ona growled at their other companion, who picked Bailys up and thrown her over his shoulder.

Baileys screamed in protest, struggling to get off his shoulder. For the first time in her life, she acted unreasonably, but that doesn’t matter to her. She can’t lose her too, not her.

“Ona don’t do this,  _ please _ ”

Her friend looked at her, a sad smile on her face. “It has been a pleasure to serve you, mistress” She bowed once more, before heading off to the hell on earth.

\-----

She blinks and she’s back. Back where she’s alive. Back where  _ everyone  _ is alive. She needs to help. She  _ has  _ to do something. She couldn’t let any of that happen once more.

_ She’ll never be able to face them if she doesn’t. _


End file.
